They're everywhere you turn - guys clad in neatly pressed khakis and button-down collared shirts and girls parading around in fully coordinated outfits straight out of the latest Neiman-Marcus catalog.
They frequently can be spotted at the trendiest cafes and bars in town, or at the most talked about frat party of the week. They come from the richest country clubs and private schools, and they spend their leisure time playing through on the back nine or serving up a game against an old friend from boarding school.
They're "preps," and apparently, the University is full of them.
"The Official Preppy Handbook" listed the University as one of top 10 most preppy colleges in the nation.
"The book is a parody, a satire," said Lisa Birnbach, the author and a contributor to CBS's "The Early Show." "It's all done with the intention to make a point."
When the book was published in 1980, 23 percent of University students came from private schools and 40 percent of the male population went Greek.
Birnbach explained that when the book was written there were far more single sex schools than exist today, many of which spawned generations upon generations of preps. In those days, there was no such thing as Polartec, the Internet or "Sex and the City."
"But a lot of things don't change," Birnbach said. "You can grow up the way your mummy and daddy did. You can buy your suits from the tailor your grandparents went to. You can have your pearls strung at the jeweler your grandparents went to. You can live in an isolated existence this way."
The book humorously details the lifestyle of America's wealthiest - the names, the clothes, the vacation spots, the sports, the charity events and the schools.
"We had 10 weeks to write the book from beginning to end so there was no time to visit every campus," Birnbach explained. "We did a lot of phone work and a lot of talking to people who knew people who graduated from the different schools."
However, once the book was completed, Birnbach visited every campus listed in the handbook.
"When I visited Charlottesville in October or November of 1980, I received a citation from the mayor naming that day official preppy day in Charlottesville," Birnbach said.
Yet, Birnbach never expected the book to reach a lot of people.
"It was supposed to be a humorous book for a small audience," Birnbach said.
While the publisher searched for an author, most writers declined the offer because they didn't think there was a whole book in the idea. But then Birnbach decided to give it a shot.
At the time, Birnbach was working in New York for "The Village Voice," a journalism company that she described as the "very antithesis of preppiness."
"The fact that I was even approached to do a book on preppies was kind of bizarre," Birnbach said. "They were desperate. They looked and looked for a writer, and I was the last one they talked to."
To her great surprise, the book turned out to be a huge success, selling two and a half million copies. Currently, the book no longer is in print, and the only way to secure a copy is through the Internet or at used bookstores.
"Twenty years ago, I went on a book tour in Richmond and there were no books available," Birnbach said. "It had been sold out all across the country. People responded to the book differently from what I thought would ever have been the case."
Americans found humor and absurdity in the preppy lifestyle. The fact that Birnbach not only acknowledged the preppy standard of living, but did so in a comical way, led to the great success of her book.
"It was a tremendous surprise that America could relate to the book, laugh at it, laugh with it," Birnbach said.
And even some 22 years later, "The Official Preppy Handbook" still has its evidence in Charlottesville.
"I don't see how anybody could not see the preppiness at U.Va.," first-year College student Amy Van Deusen said. "There are kids here that could write this book. My suitemate should write the debutante handbook because she's the expert on etiquette, expensive taste and vanity."
Although "The Official Preppy Handbook" associated the University with an air of preppiness, others have found an atmosphere of diversity among the student population.
"I suppose that preppiness exists, but it's not as prevalent as I thought it was when I originally came here," first-year Architecture student Garett Rouzer said. "There doesn't seem to be one, large overwhelming group. There seems to be a nice mix of people here."
Other students agreed that although the University carries a preppy connotation with its name, it hasn't affected the array of student individuality.
"I do think there are quite a few kids who fit the stereotype, though they are outnumbered," first-year Engineering student James Akridge said. "One thing about U.Va. is that you can be whatever you feel like."
Yet the preppiness in Charlottesville does not go unnoticed by outsiders. Virginia Tech students frequently satirize the age-old tradition of dressing up for football games by painting orange and blue striped ties on their chests. But, it's just one aspect of what makes the University so unique.
"I really enjoy that tradition, but I don't look at it as preppy," first-year College student Dan Goduti said. "I just look at it as part of the school."
Even the University's younger supporters recognize the school's preppy traditions.
"We asked our Sunday school students what occasions we dress up for," first-year College student Kelly Woodham said. "And one of the 4-year-olds shouted, 'Football games!'"
First-year College student Travis Cushman said he heard the Greek system especially was preppy, but he found that not every fraternity fits the typical mold.
"I went into rush with that stereotypical mindset, and I was convinced that I would never in a million years join a fraternity," Cushman said. "I will say there are a lot of fraternities that are preppy, uptight, rich kids. But I found one that I really liked, and you wouldn't even know that it was a frat if it wasn't for its Rugby Road location and the name written on the front of the house."
Between classes, football games and Greek functions, everyone has been exposed to the University prep. Although not every student falls under that category, the preppy type is represented fully and stands as an unmistakable part of the University's reputation.
Birnbach put it best when she wrote in the book, "When the four years are over, you will be expected to assume the duties of Prep Adulthood, so remind yourself while you're waiting for your fraternity brothers to open that fifth keg of beer that college is a once-in-a-lifetime experience"
Read More
Dreaming of drunken noodles at Thai Cuisine and Noodle House
By Lizzy Goldstein | 2 hours agoI was amazed by how the tamarind sauce and variety of spices created a cohesive link among all the dishes, tying the dinner together and leaving everyone feeling satiated.
Breaking my silence
By Cecy Juárez | 2 days agoI, Cecy Juárez, am one of the three “squirrels of U.Va.” running the @thesquirrelsofuva page.
Lending a hand during the finals push
By Abby Snowdon | 4 days agoThe race to the end of the year has begun, and University groups have set up pit stops along the course to help students get to the finish line.
